CMS issues final rule on Medicaid citizenship policy

A year after the controversial Medicaid citizenship requirement took effect, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule on the policy. The rule codifies earlier guidance that exempts seniors from the rule.

Specifically, the rule exempts those enrolled in Medicare, those who receive Supplemental Security Income, and those who receive Social Disability Insurance. The rule is expected to appear in the July 13 Federal Register.

The rule, which requires Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries to show proof of citizenship in the form of a passport or other documentation, provoked concern last year from nursing home providers. The American Health Care Association and other groups successfully argued that many nursing home residents lack the cognitive ability to produce needed documentation.

See more at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility/05_ProofofCitizenship.asp.

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